Featured Artist

(Photo credit: Jo Brody)

I have been doing mosaic for over 30 years. My first mosaic was for a built-in nook on a shower I created in my hand-built adobe house in Taos, New Mexico. Finally I was able to add some artistic details to the laborious construction work I had been doing for the previous 2 years! The combination of building materials and colorful glass and tiles is what I find so exciting about mosaic.

I like to work in both 2- and 3D, indoors and out, in windows and on tables and walls. I experimented with all these techniques to learn about proper materials, and I put this information into a book that was published in 2015, Mosaic Garden Projects, which shows how to make 25 different projects.

My wife Jo and I moved back to Portland in 1999, and I have been teaching in schools as an Artist-in-Residence ever since. Our two boys enjoyed having two creative artists as parents, but decided on their own that music was their form of art. They both live in LA now and are teaching, and designing websites for musicians. My house has a large basement studio that is always in use, and this is where I teach mosaic classes (look for my November schedule in the upcoming PNW Glass Guild weekly!)

Studio History
Diana Wendt founded Blue Dog Glass Art in 1995, naming her studio after her blue Neapolitan mastiff “Sumo”. She was drawn to the ancient method of “kiln-fired” glass forming, specifically “fused and slumped” glass.

Artist Studies
Early on, Diana who is self-taught, set out to acquire kiln-forming techniques/skills from master artist workshops and local recognized artists due to a lack of schools that offered classes in fused glass. She studied with well-known artists: Roger Nachman, Michael Dupille, Cappy Thompson, Mark Eckstrand and Susan Plum and recently Carlyne Lynch, a fellow PNW Guild member.

She was the first glass artist to be awarded the Pathways Scholarship from Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle by Director Greg Robinson, which mentors emerging artists. Diana was also one of 30 artists selected by the Artists Trust to participate in the first EDGE Professional Development Program for visual arts.

Three years ago, Diana signed up to study with international glass artist, Narcissus Quagliata in his exciting new masterclass series: “Painting with Glass”- PWG. She was delighted to be part of his second cohort of global students who studied and learned his unique methods of transforming glass into a new language during a six volume masterclass series lasting over two and a half years. It changed her approach in glass to go beyond simply cutting and fusing layers of glass to create a piece.

Teaching
By 2001, Wendt began teaching basic fusing at Pratt Fine Arts Center. Four years later (2005), Wendt moved from Seattle to Kent, WA and created a fused glass program for Green River Community College – GRCC, fulfilling her dream to teach from the tranquil setting of her near-by studio.

In 2007, Diana set aside her studio art to lovingly provide 24/7 care for her ill, elderly mother while continuing to teach for Green River. Now, 29 years later, Diana continues to enjoy teaching for the college, being inspired by her students, exploring her own glass and learning from both the PWG and the PNW Guild communities.

I am a glass jewelry artist. I have lived in Salem, OR for the last 10 years. I first encountered glass art, specifically in jewelry form, over 20 years ago in Tallahassee, FL where I was living at the time.

At that time, I was an aspiring jeweler using metalsmith techniques. But I was frustrated with it because I always wanted to play with colors. With metalsmithing, it was quite limited. Then, I encountered glass jewelry in fused glass form. I was mesmerized with the magical colors that glass creates with the light coming through. I fell in love with it! I took a class at an Art Center offered at Florida State University to learn a basic technique. The rest is history!

Ever since I started working with glass, I have continued to create jewelry with it. I use fused glass technique incorporating metal, primarily silver. My signature work is 3D blossoms.

I have always adored flowers ever since I was a little child and wanted to create my own flowers with the magical colors available in glass. The challenge was how to make it three dimensional. With fused glass techniques, glass pieces naturally fused together into 2D form. After trial and error(many!), I developed my own technique to make 3D blossoms.

Glass is such a unique medium and I just love working with it. There is no other medium that is created with earth’s gift, minerals, which allows you to create your own art form. And then, when your creation dances with light, another gift from nature, what it offers is miraculous! Glass never ceases to amaze me. The more I work with glass, the more I am amazed at how many facets glass possesses.

Lately I have started to incorporate the “reactive” characteristic of glass into my work. I am particularly interested in the reaction between silver foil and various colors of glass. I also started using glass which has unique colors that I create on my own by painting it.

Currently, I am not teaching. But, I would like to share my knowledge if opportunity arises.

More of Mari’s work can be seen at https://www.mari-wearableglassart.com/

My admiration for light began deep within a dark canyon in Utah. There, a single beam of sunlight traversed to the bottom, where it reflected off a pool of water and danced on the carved walls. This profound moment revealed light’s power to bring the present moment into focus, a sensation my work seeks to recreate in contemporary spaces.

I come from a family of glassmakers: my parents first met in a glass hot shop. Growing up immersed in this craft instilled in me a deep fascination with the material and the rich traditions of glassmaking. My path to glass artistry was not a straight one. With a degree in Chemical Engineering, I explored the beauty of the physical world through the lens of science, delving into the interplay of form and function. This foundation led to a professional career in data modeling and visualization, where I developed the ability to identify and communicate elegant solutions to complex problems. These experiences now inform my approach to sculpture, blending analytical precision with creative intuition.

In my backyard studio in Seattle, WA, I combine time-honored glassmaking techniques with modern digital modeling and computational design. My work bridges tradition and innovation, transforming ancient Egyptian methods of glass casting to explore new geometric possibilities. Since dedicating myself fully to my glass sculpture practice in 2021, I have created hundreds of sculptures, transformed dozens of residential spaces, exhibited in several galleries, and welcomed art enthusiasts into my studio during tours. My online gallery is at MiloSnyder.com

Design & Discovery

I combine mathematical beauty with ancient craft to create lighting sculptures that elicit awe. Every project starts as meditations on natural phenomena and geometry. Through computer algorithms and simulations, designs are discovered that evoke and inspire.

A shape is designed on computer and 3D printed

Designs are materialized in a castable material using carefully tuned, customized 3D printers. Each model is then hand-finished with traditional techniques. Following centuries-old methods, forms are invested in plaster molds and filled with molten glass, capturing every intricate detail of the design. This critical stage merges digital precision with the organic nature of molten glass.

After dipping the shape in wax it is detailed by hand

The shape is invested in plaster, melted out, and then used to cast glass

The finishing process requires meticulous patience and attention to detail. Through grinding, polishing, and sandblasting, each piece is further sculpted to enhance its interaction with light. Custom brass hardware completes each fixture.

I believe glass sculptural lighting has an unparalleled ability to captivate, and I invite you to experience the world through this lens. Please stop by to see it in person during the Glass And Decor studio tour October 18-19 in north Seattle.

(There’s great video of Milo’s process at https://www.milosnyder.com/about2, scroll down to Process Journey)

Cathy Southwick and grandaughter

I live in Eugene, with my husband Jeff, dogs Grizz and Reggie, and Carlyne’s favorite cat, Todd. We moved here from Stillwater, OK in 2020, right as the pandemic was blowing up. We have a daughter and son-in-law in Cottage Grove, and a son and daughter-in-law and 2-year old granddaughter in the Tulsa area.

I started dabbling in glass in 2013 when I took a torch-working class at the community art center in Stillwater. I quickly became frustrated because my beads were all weirdly shaped, and moved into the fusing class without any idea what I was entering. I found my niche! While we were in Oklahoma, I did assist in teaching some fusing classes at the art center. But haven’t done any since moving here.

My journey with glass began a few decades ago. I was working at an antique store in Gig Harbor, WA whose owner taught stained glass at Stadium High School in Tacoma, WA and when the store wasn’t busy, he taught me his craft. I was hooked immediately. Fast forward 10 years and I opened my first studio in Woodinville, WA and dubbed it GlassRoots. I taught stained glass classes 3 nights a week and was open for retail 5 days a week.

My husband (who is wonderful) and I were raising three children and very busy. He always supported me in my artistic endeavors. One of my students gave me an old ceramic kiln and I started incorporating painted pieces into my stained glass projects. I experimented a bit, but fusing was just in its early years. Bullseye was just starting its fusible glass line. I ran that studio for almost 20 years.

Here’s a piece I did 40 years ago.

Fast forward a move to Marysville as kids grew up and out. I had a full time job at a Title company in Everett and was making and selling fused glass jewelry on the side.

I wanted to learn how to do lampwork beads. Enter a new, and now dear friend, Chris Warrington. An amazing lampwork artist, who said “I’ll teach you how to do lampwork and I want to learn how to fuse.” The moment I began to teach her fusing, I knew that was my path. Here’s my first project back after a 15 year break:

I stopped doing jewelry and started fusing again. I’ve taken classes from some amazing artists: Paul Marioni & Mark Ekstrom (back in the day), Fred Buxton, Tim Carey and Ann Cavanaugh. Lots of e-books and experimenting and I’m still hooked almost 50 years later.

Glass is the most versatile medium. I’ve done copper foil and leaded stained glass, sandblasting scenes on shower doors, bathroom windows and office doors in the Columbia Tower, fused, painted, blown, lampwork and cast glass. The way light plays off the glass entices me to constantly want to learn more. So much fun and so challenging at the same time. Every day is like Christmas morning when I open my kilns.

I think it keeps us young to continue to learn and share all that we can about this wonderful medium we all love.

Here is some of my current work:

See more of Mel’s work on Instagram

Linda Schnell, an artist with arthritis, has an enduring fascination with the intersection between art and science. She recognizes like tumbling sea glass, living with arthritis can be a rough journey. Her background in engineering along with a passion for collecting beach treasures inspires Linda to create mixed-media sculptures with her signature style of layering sea glass with special beach finds, clay art, and fused glass.

Red Octopus Sea Temple

Hot Pink Siren Sea Temple

Sea Bloom

Killer Whale Blues

My name is Kathie Wise, I live in St. Helens, OR. I’ve been making glass on glass mosaics since 2016.

I specialize in backgrounds, using many different cuts, sometimes combining more than one or two. I have occasionally taught classes. The substrate used is small enough so that the entire gluing part of the mosaic is completed in one day. I then grout each piece on another day.

Kathy Wise

In April of 2016, my husband, Dave, was creating greenhouses out of wood-framed windows. He entered one such greenhouse into the annual St. Helens Home & Garden Show, and sold it too. Meanwhile, Kory Dollar, was in the same event, selling her glass on glass mosaics. At the time, she was using wood-framed windows as substrates for her mosaics. She and Dave met, admired each other’s talent, and soon started talking about a partnership. I met Kory that weekend. As the two of them ironed things out, Kory suggested I come over to her shop for a private class in GOG.

Years ago, when Kory was becoming known as a teacher in glass on glass mosaics, she would travel to many different counties to teach others how to create their own mosaics. In the early days, she wasn’t always able to fill them with students. That’s when I would ride along with her and be one of her students. Later, Kory was invited to teach mosaics in different states, including Texas, California, Washington, and Nevada and I went with her.

So now, 9 years later, I’ve just completed my 99th mosaic. They are all different sizes, of all different things, from trees to flowers, mermaids, Big Foot, Christmas Ships, Hot Air Balloons, rainbows, birds of all kinds, cats, butterflies, a mountain scene, under sea gardens, bicycles, a fire breathing dragon, an angel, even the Eye of Ra! It’s all so fun. Some are 3-D, using two frames with a section of wood separating the two pieces of glass. Many of my mosaics are from vintage glass blocks that come in different sizes. Dave drilled holes in them to create a place to install fairy lights, which in turn creates night lights. Even after all this time of being immersed in GOG, I still find working on the larger mosaics the most challenging. Primarily it’s because they take so much time, AND they are much harder to sell because they cost so much more. It would be different if I was working on a commission, where I have an agreement with the buyer for a certain amount of money.

I joined the PNW Glass Guild with the expectations of selling my art through the Guild-sponsored events. I also wanted to meet other glass artists who specialize in different forms of glass art. I’ve never held a position on the Glass Guild Board and have no interest in pursuing any. I am having way too much fun just creating my mosaics.

I’d always been drawn to glass art, especially glass paper weights and stained glass, but it had never occurred to me that it was something that I might be able to create myself. That changed in 1998 when my wife and I took a class in stained glass at Roses Glassworks in Tigard. I was immediately hooked and after careful consideration, decided that I enjoyed it enough to justify buying my own tools and investing in a grinder. Little did I realize how those decisions would evolve into the hobby that would consume most of my free time and finances for the next quarter century and more.

I subsequently learned about glass fusing and decided to explore that with my first kiln in 2000. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the Oregon Glass Guild, which has since evolved into the Pacific Northwest Glass Guild, also got its start that year thanks to George Kjaer, an amateur glass blower in Eugene. The guild soon expanded to include chapters in the Gorge and Portland, where I discovered it and began attending meetings and taking classes. I kept asking why the OGG website wasn’t being updated and soon found myself being tasked with building an entirely new website and being invited to join the guild board of directors. I wound up serving as webmaster and board member in various capacities through about 2016.

I’ve since retired from guild leadership but have remained involved with the guild as it has grown into the PNWGG. Most notably, my wife and I have worked with fellow guild member, Linda Gerrard to host classes at our studio where guild members have an opportunity to learn from visiting glass artists that are leaders in their field. The first work I created and exhibited at the Gathering of the Guilds show was pretty basic stuff; coasters, business card holders and the like. I didn’t sell much, but I was having fun.

I soon began to develop a style and became known for work that was primarily based on straight lines and geometric patterns. For a period of time, I was really into reproducing quilt patterns in glass

Then in 2009, inspired by the work of Steve Immerman, I started working with strip construction. That’s where you cut narrow strips of sheet glass, about 3/8” wide, then stand them on edge to create 3mm wide lines. That technique allowed me to create much more intricate patterns, such as my Bargello Platter which is still one of my favorite pieces I’ve ever done.

After the Bargello Platter, I continued to pursue the idea of creating “pattern bars” using strip construction, then cutting them on a wet tile saw to create components that could be assembled into complex patterns such as this bowl with a woven basket motif.

And this wavy piece that I call Magic Carpet.

I love experimenting with new techniques, so my work tends to jump from one extreme to another over time. In 2022, I was intrigued by Paul Tarlow’s “frit stretching”. Not being one to follow directions though, I decided to try using pieces of pattern bars instead of frit and came up with a series of pieces I call Time Portals. Some people have commented that this example makes them think of a faceted diamond.

I’ve long admired the work of Ian Chadwick because it was also based on the same type of straight-line intricate patterns that I had striven to create with strip construction. However, Ian’s work used stringers rather than the edges of 3mm sheet glass, so he was able to create more detailed patterns than I had managed. Last December, I had an opportunity to take a class from Ian to learn the details of how he creates his pieces. Ian works almost exclusively with 45 and 90 degree angles when cutting components for his work which gives his pieces a characteristic look that is unmistakably his. Wanting to differentiate my work, I decided to see if I could apply his technique while using 30, 60 and 90 degree angles and came up with this piece that I call Fusion Reactor.

David blows a challenge piece during RefractSeattle.org every year. This one was into driftwood.

If you get glass blower David Smith talking about glass, local or otherwise, you’ll find it both informative and entertaining. He has been working with glass and the people who do it for a long time. As the owner/operator of Blowing Sands Glass and the attached Laura Frost Gallery in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle David is among the few guild members who have an actual open-to-the-public workspace (you do need to make an appointment and wear a mask). His students rate his classes very highly and his class schedule is often filled two months ahead.

He was introduced to the art of glass blowing in 1978 while studying for a degree in Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. His final two years were spent in the Materials Artifacts Laboratory where he did analysis on man’s earliest evidence of ceramic processing, the pigment used in cave paintings, and worked on a project tracing the transfer of porcelain technology from China down the silk road to Europe. His thesis subject was soft-paste porcelain produced in France during the 18th Century. After graduating in 1983, he returned to Seattle and started working full-time as a glass blower.

In 1987, he bought a one-way ticket to China and then traveled across Asia and the Soviet Union, and spent the next 5 years living and working with artists in Finland, Germany, France and Ireland. He returned to Seattle in 1992 and established his own studio/hot-shop in Ballard. His art glass has been collected and appreciated around the world, and his glass castings are installed in the Atlanta Federal Building as well as public and private buildings in the northwest. His work is an extension of his technical background in glass science and his love of the traditions and history of glass blowing throughout the world.

Sean Goddard, www.seangoddardinsects.com, originally hails from Mississauga, Ontario. He began dabbling in glasswork while living in Whistler in the 1990s. What began as a hobby quickly turned into a cottage industry for Sean as he began to sell his new creations at the markets and galleries in the region.

“At some point , I made my first insect piece inspired by a book called An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles. One thing led to another and I was fortunate enough to have gained a buying audience that allowed me to carry on. The desire to further delve into the glasswork is met equally with the enjoyment of the biodiversity of nature in the insect world. There is so much colour and form that I don’t think I will ever tire of it and hope to continue to evolve my work to represent a slice of that world”

Currently, Sean Goddard Insect Sculptures are created on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia. You can find them at various premiere shows located throughout the Pacific Northwest (see more info here) and Sean Goddard Insects Salt Spring Island Gallery (location details here).

For a closer look, watch this video provided by www.SaltSpringLife.com or come see him and his work at the NW Flower and Garden Show Feb. 19th – 23rd in the Seattle Convention Center, booth 1116.

Robin concept and sketch

School of Fish

Ocean Inversion study

3 Sunset sketches

In addition to my own artistic endeavors, I have been studying with Narcissus Quagliata for the past 3 years. This summer, I had the pleasure of working beside the maestro on his new masterpiece, “The Bench”, here at Bullseye Glass in Portland. It was also a joy to collaborate with our fellow Guild artist, Carlyne Lynch, and the amazing crew at Bullseye Glass. As my journey with Narcissus continues, I am honored to soon become a teacher and coach for his new “Painting With Glass Community”, beginning in 2025.

I wish you all great success with your own creations and I look forward to sharing more of our artistic journeys together.

Andrew and Narcissus

Andrew working with Narcissus on “The Bench” at Bullseye Portland

After years of professional education and workforce program administration, policy work and teaching it became clear to me that my heart and soul required me to engage in an activity that created an actual product…and that need found fruition when I became totally engaged and immersed in artistic work with glass—I discovered that an artist lived inside me!

Since I lived near I was able to take my beginning training in workshops at Bullseye. I met and learned from many wonderful glass artists there and through my membership in the early days of the Guild. When I retired I was very fortunate to be accepted to train with Klaus Moje at a summer session at Pilchuck! That workshop was amazing, Klaus of course was wonderful, as was Steve Klein and the whole cohort of students. Many of my fellow students are lifelong friends and active leaders in today’s glass community.

My work in the glass studio is filled with the reflection of light through luminescent sheets of glass. I am alternately calmed and excited as the kilnforming processes of cutting, grinding, firing, and polishing of the glass produces vessels or sculptural works of art that I enjoy and that others find joy in also.

Red glass, whether opal or transparent inspires me! Often it seems to just jump out of the glass bins onto the cutting table demanding to be fashioned into something that makes a bold statement or simply raises my spirits !

Glass can almost seem magical. The chemical makeup of the glass, its color and composition can create amazing reactions that change, enrich and surprise. This piece is an example of reactions in action!

This Petrified Wood Bowl features the reaction that fusing BE Petrified Wood glass on Robin’s Egg Blue glass generates. This bowl is finished with a black enamel lip wrap.

Techtonics was inspired by the syncline formation in the cliffs along the Columbia River near Lyle, Washington. The syncline in this piece is achieved using the natural edges of the hand poured glass layered to resemble the folds in the rock formation.

My love affair with glass and my skills and expertise in working with it, have naturally aligned with my experience and love of teaching. So, in addition to my personal work in the studio, I also enjoy sharing my skills with adults and young people who might just want to make something beautiful with glass, or with others who are beginning an exploration of the glass medium and hopefully will begin their own artistic adventures.

I’m so glad I can continue my guild membership even though I now live in Montana. I appreciate the news of all the activities you all continue doing to bring gorgeous glass to the community. Know that if any of you are traveling to/through Missoula, MT or the Bitterroot Valley I’d love to hear from you…and to get together for a visit if you have time! See my Members’ Gallery page or my website for more info

(Terri is having a candle holder class in Hamilton MT if you happen to be in the Missoula area December 7th)

Terri’s demo nightlights

Fused glass captured my heart & imagination from the first class I took in 2006. Glass has such a draw through the color and light it brings to its environment and is wonderful for both decorative & functional uses.

I work at my home studio in Gresham, Oregon. The process to create one piece can involve several firings over many hours. This involves cutting, torch-working pieces to add to the project, assembly, firing multiple times in the kiln, and finally cold-working as needed to create a quality product and finish. It is still a joy to learn new techniques from classes and other artists.

Daryle Ryder at Gathering of the Guilds 2024

I started working in stained glass in the early 1980’s. I enjoyed doing hobby pieces for fun and gifts. While living in Wallowa, Oregon I opened a studio in my house, participating in local shows and doing some commissioned pieces for installation in private homes.

In about 1995, I took a class in Portland on fusing and got hooked. It wasn’t long before I found a used kiln to purchase. Through many experiments, I learned a lot about fusing, including many things not to do again. In 2002, I moved the Eugene area where I became involved with Eugene Glass School. I took classes from a variety of instructors and got involved with a vibrant glass community. There was a lot going on: shows, classes, and others to work with. The year 2013 took me to Astoria to help my dad, resulting in somewhat of a break from glass work.

After my father’s passing and a divorce, I landed in Salem. I have set up a studio here at my house giving an occasional beginner class and the last 3 summers participating in Saturday Markets in Salem, Silverton, and Astoria. I just wrapped up my second season at The Oregon Garden “Art in the Garden” and will be participating in a number of holiday shows. It has been great to get to know other glass artists in the PNWGG. I was looking for other artists to work with, learn from, and be challenged by.

I started my glass art journey in 2012, then joined the Oregon Glass Guild in 2013. Many people ask how I got started making glass art. I’ve attended art fairs around the Portland area for many years and was always drawn to the glass displays. One day a friend said “you know you can learn to do this yourself”. Of course I was shocked that was possible, but thrilled when I found Aquila Glass and began my journey.

For the first several months, I used the pretty glass to make plates and bowls When I tired of that, I started making decorative nightlights, ornaments, and more intricately decorated plates and bowls. I would bring them to work to show my friends and they all wanted to buy my creations. Not only did they buy what I brought in, they also ordered commissioned pieces as well.

Since I didn’t own my own kiln yet, I took everything to a nearby shop and rented their kiln. I think everyone knows what a pain cleaning and reassembling all those little pieces of glass is! My husband was so surprised by all the pieces I was making and selling that he surprised me with a kiln for Christmas of 2012. That kiln had a 12” shelf and it took only 3 years for me to add another kiln with a 20” shelf. That was a real game-changer for me. By this time I was getting bored making plates and bowls, but really enjoyed designing and creating more artistic pieces.

It didn’t take long for me to want to take classes from people whose work I admired so I could learn new techniques and improve my skills. After taking several classes from local glass artists and admiring the work of others further away, on behalf of the Guild, I contacted one of my favorite artists to see if they would come to Portland to do a class. I did that for four or five years and all the participants were thrilled they could take these classes locally.

As far as a technique I am known for, there are actually two. Several years ago it occurred to me that I could mimic the Bullseye rolled edge and use it as the top of my artwork. Oddly enough, someone once told me I needed to work on my cutting skills so my piece had a straight top edge. Obviously, this was an intentional design element. The second thing is that I prefer to leave texture on my pieces. Most of my pieces are landscapes, so I first create my background and mid-ground before full fuse firing, then I tack fuse my foreground on leaving a lovely texture that catches the light and sparkles. Additionally, it draws people in to touch the piece for tactile enjoyment as well as visual.

I really enjoy creating beautiful, realistic landscapes and pieces with animals or birds. When people see my work in person, they always say how beautiful it is and that they’ve never seen anything like it. It’s such a challenge and I feel very pleased when I create a piece that has great depth and proper perspective making it feel like you’ve “been there” or you could walk right into the scene. The most challenging aspect of this art form is putting down enough powdered frit to give the intensity of color I want. This is especially true for transparent pieces where the color can sometimes just disappear during firing.

I’m always interested in learning new techniques or trying new products. I find that I rarely take a class then simply repeat the process to make another and another. Instead I usually find some part of it that I particularly like and incorporate that into my work. I think this is why people tell me they’ve never seen anything like my glass art; because it’s a combination of techniques. That being said, I have taken classes and purchased products that just don’t appeal to me and I either don’t use them or I find a way to incorporate just a little of what I learned into what I do. I’ll be bringing some of these unused items to the bargain table at the Guild picnic August 11th at Gail Haskett’s in Battle Ground WA. Hope to see you there!

See more of Linda’s work in the Members’ Gallery

I have been deeply moved by the transformation, connection and magic that occurs when separate materials are brought together to form an integrated whole. This theme is central to my work with mosaics, mosaic jewelry, and glass fusion. Many times, my work will incorporate all three together.

Each project begins by gathering materials, such as different sizes and shapes of glass, ceramic tiles, semi-precious stones, charms, beads, buttons, and smaller found objects. Assembly then begins with placement of color, patterns, and texture into the designed project. The result may be in the form of a piece of mosaic jewelry, a representation of a bird’s feather or other life form, some visual movement like flowing water, or an abstract landscape design. Always my focus is on harmony and integration of materials. If the artwork is only made using glass, I fire it in a glass kiln where more transformation takes place through the application of heat.

Artistic work for me is a metaphor for living a satisfying, balanced, and harmonious life. To live this way, it is important to explore the elements that work and fit together, discard or transform what doesn’t, and keep going deeper, ever changing, and discovering. It is my hope that my artistic creations telegraph and inspire that sense of depth, harmony, and balance.

You can see more of my work at
http://www.karelmurphydesigns.com/